How to make a Spectacular Promotional Video for your Event

How to make a Spectacular Promotional Video for your Event

Video is a brilliant way to promote your event as it gives the viewer a real sense of what they can expect to experience. The challenge is crafting an engaging and interesting video which will retain audience attention in an environment where people don’t want to be ‘sold to’. Read on to find out how you can keep your ideal target audience engaged and excited about attending your event.

Know your Audience

Start by determining who your target audience is and what they want to achieve from attending the event. In addition, look at the profile of attendees of similar events to the one which you are hosting. Once you have a picture of who your attendees are you can profile their video consumption. Armed with this information it is easier to plan your event video with this audience in mind. Remember when planning your event video to anticipate what your audience will want to see. Is it the venue itself, guest speakers, vendor booths or the live entertainment? Capturing the key elements that make your event unique (for example a section of the acrobatic performance you have planned) will help to produce a promotional video laser targeted to future attendees of your event.

Selecting the people who will appear in the promotional video

Who the audience sees in the video is a key element of promoting your video. These are the people who will represent your event and brand. You may choose a company representative or a hired actor to talk about the event. Alternatively you may opt for a voiceover for your video explaining things as they are seen on-screen. This way the audience knows what the event entails and has it clearly explained to them by someone who is friendly and engaging. Including attendees at the event displaying their reactions to speakers, performers or product demonstrations can also work very well. Viewers can imagine themselves in the same position as the previous attendees and are therefore more likely to attend your next event.

The “Feel” of the Event

The atmosphere that the promotional video creates plays an important role in encouraging people to attend your event. Atmosphere can be created in many different ways, ranging from the visuals selected, to lighting, to the soundtrack to the way that the video is edited. Fun and fast paced videos are particularly appealing to a younger audience. Event videos with plenty of bright visuals are the type of attention grabbing content that works well on social media. Slower paced edits showing each attraction or vendor booth in detail can be interpreted as more professional and so may work well for an older corporate audience. The atmosphere that you choose to create will depend on who you want to attend your event and the research that you have already done into their video consumption preferences.

Magnify your events impact with social media

The benefits of a large social media presence start before the event even begins. Snippets of video content can be released in the lead up to the big day to build anticipation. Social media also provides the ability for attendees to receive real-time answers that they may have about the event. New technology’s, such as real-time video app Periscope, allow you to release content and interact with your social media following while the event is occurring. And once the event is finished you can release your video enabling attendees to recapture the excitement of the being there and to allow those who couldn’t attend a taste of what it would be like to come. Including key influencers among your social media following in the video can be a great way to encourage them to share the video content with their followers.